How Will We Live Tomorrow?

Trip Log – Day 156 – Lodi, CA to Napa, CA

Posted on October 9, 2015 by paulefallon

October 8, 2015 – Sunny, 85 degrees

Miles Today: 71

Miles to Date: 8,263

States to Date: 25

Today was not fun. I was warned that Route 12 was terrible for cyclists. But even the naysayers didn’t offer alternatives. So, I struck out early and persevered.

The San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers collect all the other rivers in the Central Valley and come together to form the California Delta, a low-lying marsh. It’s a beautiful stretch.

Unfortunately, traffic is heavy and the shoulders sketchy. Nice and wide for several miles, then they disintegrate to nothing. Over one four-mile stretch I actually walked my bike along the bumpy and soft edge; there was no way to ride on the paved surface. Route 12 must be notorious for traffic deaths as it’s lined with signs about driving safe. Past Rio Vista there are yellow stanchions to ensure that no one passes. That also means no one can shift over to give me space. So, I wound up riding a stretch, then pulling over to let a line of traffic pass, then riding some more. Once again, the courteous and patient truck drivers impressed me. The guys in pick-up trucks – not so much.

Finally, the road widened and I pedaled the Solano County hills. I reached Fairfield, a hot and tawny town, by noon. After a long lunch break and many missed turns, I found the bike path that parallels I-80 east from town. I spent miles along wide boulevards in the exploding exurbs of San Francisco in an appalling new development with streets named ‘Business Center Drive’ and ‘Healthcare Court’. The entire area is so spread out and separately zoned it can only be accessed by car. Do we ever learn anything?

When I reached the I-680/I-80 interchange, under construction, all signs of the bike path disintegrated. I spent half an hour seeking a safe way back onto Route 12. Finally, I just sucked it up and went on I-80 for one exit before climbing out the valley.

At the top of the rise, the road spread out, the temperature dropped fifteen degrees, and the views were spectacular. Welcome to Napa! Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I could feel bad for the people trapped in their bumper-to-bumper traffic.

I rolled into Napa and spent a lovely evening with a warmshowers host and a few of her friends. A shower, a beer, homemade bread with cheese and grilled pork tacos can make a guy forget a harrowing day.

Posted in Bicycle Trip Log | Tagged Bicycle Touring, California Delta, Fairfield CA, Lodi CA, Napa CA, Route 12 | Leave a comment

Profile Response: Michael Griego, Microsoft Consultant, Monroe, WA

Posted on October 9, 2015 by paulefallon

One of the things I learned during my work in Haiti is that scarcity can be a catalyst for community. That idea rarely comes to play in the United States, where we have so much. But when I stopped by McDonalds for a writing break, and there was only one electrical outlet in the dining area, I had to set up my computer next the man already plugged in. We spent the next hour talking. If there had been other receptacles, we never would have met.

Michael Greigo is a long-time Seattle area resident, father of two, and market research consultant for Microsoft. He explained that Microsoft has about 70,000 employees, and an equal number of vendors. In some cases, employees and vendors perform different tasks, but in other cases, full-time employees and contract workers do virtually identical jobs. Michael knows contract project managers that have worked on the same project for years.

Last year, Microsoft changed its policies toward contract staff, limiting access to Microsoft’s buildings and networks to 18 months before requiring a 6-month hiatus. Michael doesn’t know what prompted the change, though local blogs are full of speculation. (Michael was being strategic in his innocence; Microsoft was skirting Justice Department requirements for ‘employees’.) Regardless, the result is that managers who want to retain contractors resort to work-arounds. When Michael’s eighteen months as a contractor ended, he shifted to work with a management consulting service. “It’s a different structure, but the same work, the same project.”

Michael likes contractor status and believes most other contractors prefer it to being employees. “I go in the office about once a week. I get my work done, don’t have to deal with politics, and have more time to pursue other projects.” This summer morning he’d dropped his daughter off at band camp, then come to McDonald’s with his niece for a change of scene before picking his daughter up later. “I couldn’t do that if I worked full-time for Microsoft.

How will we live tomorrow?

“When I look around I think of Wall-e. We value what is on our screen more than what is around us. If we don’t pay attention, we will lose our connection. Kids attention spans are shrinking, but their capacity to access information is faster. They have different skill sets.

“Tomorrow could be a really bright place. The next thirty years will be more dynamic than the last one hundred. What we have now – GPS, Internet – was science fiction thirty years ago. Look at 3-D printing. We can make a prosthetic limb and send it to a third world country.

“Tomorrow could be revolutionary. Or, with climate change and political instability, it could be terrible. The range of what tomorrow can be is huge. It’s never been wider. We have to be more aware than ever because the rate of change is so great.

“Tomorrow, everyone should live more aware of where we are and what we’re doing. It’s a scary and wonderful place all wrapped up in one.

“It is a given that we are a corrupt country. Thoughtful people, not prone to conspiracy theories, believe that the country is in the hands of the large corporate interests – oil, agriculture, and technology. The corporate structure is bigger than the political structure. But I think about Karl Marx and others from the early industrial revolution. People were tools of industry. Children worked 50 to 60 hours a week. Marx saw this was not sustainable. And it wasn’t. Look at the political changes that got us from an abusive industrial system to an industrialized welfare state. Now we are in the midst of a new change with our technological capacity and global interdependence. I don’t know how the changes will take place, but I believe we can make them.”

Posted in Responses | Tagged Microsoft, Microsoft consultants | Leave a comment

Trip Log – Day 155 – Ceres, CA to Lodi, CA

Posted on October 8, 2015 by paulefallon

October 7, 2015 – Sunny, 75 degrees

Miles Today: 59

Miles to Date: 8,192

States to Date: 25

It’s time to tempt fate and talk about dogs, one of a touring cyclist’s greatest fears. I have been warned time and again that the two worst places for dogs are Appalachia and the Central Valley. I have real fear of the stories I’ve heard in West Virginia and Kentucky. But I must say that, so far, dogs in the Central Valley do not live up to their reputation.

Yes, there are many. Yes, they do chase cyclists. I’ve had more dogs chase me in the past four days than during my previous 150 days of cycling. But, hey most of them are tiny and the all have their tails wagging high. These are friendly dogs. I am sure a German Shepard could decide to have my calf for lunch tomorrow, but so far, Central Valley dogs are laid-back, California creatures.

Daily variations in a place as huge as the Central Valley are subtle. Today I spent 25 miles on Jack Tone Road, a smooth strip of pavement will all sorts of harvesting taking place, all by machine.

One machine shakes the walnut trees. Another sweeps them off the ground. A third conveyor belts the harvest into hoppers. The hoppers are transported to hulling facilities where a series of belts separate debris from hulls from shells. I think the first time a human actually touches a walnut is when we consumers take one out of a bag.

I also saw machines harvesting plum tomatoes and corn. The scale of operations is immense. It also leaves waste. So many pumpkins that didn’t meet the grade.

By the time I reached Lodi the focus shifted to wine, so tourism comes into play. Lodi is a truly quaint place with a lovely downtown, as well as a cool bike rack outside the library.

Posted in Bicycle Trip Log | Tagged Ceres CA, dogs and cyclists, Lodi CA, touring cyclists, walnut harvesting, walnuts | Leave a comment

Profile Response: Katie and Ian Ferguson, Bothell, WA

Posted on October 8, 2015 by paulefallon

When Katie Ferguson invited me to stay with her family, she added the caveat, ”as long as your OK with a preschooler asking a zillion questions.” Her comment sealed the deal for me. After all, I love questions, and am fascinated by preschoolers’ inquisitiveness, which, sad to say, drops precipitously as they enter school. But Katie’s simple comment also cued me that the Ferguson household, like so many in the United States, revolves around their three-year-old.

One giant cultural shift of the last generation has been what constitutes ‘good parenting.’ I grew up in a world where ‘children are better seen and not heard’ and can count the times my father and I spent time together on one hand. In my 1960’s Catholic world of multiple children, we pretty much entertained and raised ourselves.

That all changed by the time I became a parent. We read parenting books, acquired parenting skills, and debated the merits of ‘quality time’ versus ‘quantity time’ with our children. Working outside the home and raising well-adjusted children became measures of success in our increasingly complex world. Children didn’t just grow up; they were raised; and like all prize-winning crops, the best required a lot nurturing. When I left my regular job in the 1990’s to care for our children, it was featured in the local paper. Fortunately we’ve moved beyond considering male parenting newsworthy. Still I was fascinated to visit the Ferguson’s and see how, almost another generation on, our desire to be ‘good parent’s’ defines so much of our lives.

Katie and Ian are beyond good parents – they are exemplary parents. Ian, a big guy who writes software that cities purchase to coordinate ADA-required ride share for disabled people, eases to the floor to play with Ben, balances time between informal play and structured reading, helps his son understand time and sequence, and gets the boy off to bed on time. Katie, who used to be a competitive cyclist, works a flexible schedule, cooks amazing food from whatever arrives in their weekly CSA basket, and takes Ben on regular bicycle outings.

Ian and Katie live the most sustainable life I’ve witnessed among people inhabiting four bedroom suburban houses. They are conscious of the environment and their imprint at every level. Most importantly, they rarely drive. The Prius sits in the garage as Ian busses to work and Katie cycles. Each admits their commitment to living sustainably ramped up after Ben was born.

I arrived at the Ferguson’s fresh from riding through wildfire smoke. This led to a discussion of the people who refused to evacuate, risking their lives by remaining with their homes and possessions. Ian summarized it well, “Think about what your life is meaningless without. That defines your life.” For Katie and Ian, and so many other American parents, our children define our lives.

How will we live tomorrow?

“Since having a child I think more about being a better person. I want to treat people better, love people more. Living on the East Side is wealthy and entitled. I want to make the world better by respecting others more. I want to expand my respect for others beyond my immediate family.

“I recently read Falling Upward by Father Richard Rohr, a Franciscan Priest. The first half of life is building up definitions. The second half is breaking down the boundaries we set up and realizing the divinity in all of us.” – Ian Ferguson

“For me, it is an issue of control. I can control how much food I take. When I feel hungry, my response is to do something else to divert my energy. Having a child has been great aversion therapy. You have to give up control. When I was pregnant I had to eat what I needed and look like what I looked like. Before, when I started feeling out of control, I controlled what I put in my body and how I exercised my body. Now, when I feel out of control, I stop, look at the symptoms, what is going on around me, and identify what is out of control. Usually, identifying the symptoms is all I need to move forward. Having a child did that for me.

“In the Bible, Paul says learn the secret of being content. That secret is accepting where you are at this moment.” – Katie Ferguson

Posted in Responses | Tagged Bothell WA, Falling Upward, Parenting, Richard Rohr | 4 Comments

Trip Log – Day 154 – Merced, CA to Ceres, CA

Posted on October 7, 2015 by paulefallon

October 6, 2015 – Sunny, 75 degrees

Miles Today: 38

Miles to Date: 8,133

States to Date: 25

I spent the morning in Merced, a traditional ag town that is being transformed by the newest addition of the University of California system – CA Merced. Merced has a gorgeous courthouse, shady downtown, and I had two separate interviews at Healthy House, a non-profit that bridges Eastern and Western cultures and medicines through work with the Hmong and other immigrant communities.

Cycling makes small changes apparent. It was after two before I began pedaling to Ceres. I noticed the earth is a bit greener, the terrain a tiny bit more varied than yesterday. The canals actually have water. Hmong farmers plant a variety of crops – something rare in this monoculture world.

Can you guess what this dozer is piling up? Answer in a few days…

Posted in Bicycle Trip Log | Tagged Ceres CA, Healthy House, Hmong farmers, Hmong immigrants, Merced CA, UC Merced | Leave a comment

Profile Response: Brian D’Apice, Bike Around America, Sultan, WA

Posted on October 7, 2015 by paulefallon

Brian D’Apice is a thirty year old former member of the 82^nd Airborne Division who is now bicycling around the perimeter of the United States to raise money for two favorite charities: Pencils of Promise, which builds schools in developing countries, and the National Military Family Association. We are travelling in the same direction with different purposes.

Brian was in tenth grade when 911 occurred. He knew then he wanted to serve in our military. After high school, he enlisted, was deployed n 2004, became a Sergeant, and was deployed again in 2006, the first unit of the Surge.

imgres-1 Brian is one of the most well integrated Iraqi war veterans I’ve met. I asked how he managed to circumvent PTSD. “People with PTSD are not in the present. They are trapped in their minds. I had a strong family unit back home. They provided the gravity that kept me grounded. Not all vets have that support, and they can’t leave what happened behind. They are still living then, instead of living now. When I came home, I had to learn to let go of the tough guy thing, but still keep those traits.”

After his service Brian went to York College in Pennsylvania, majored in marketing but also read a lot of spirituality and self-help. “I got involved in meditation. When I am in the moment, I am bullet-proof.”

After college, Brian taught English in Thailand, where he encountered Pencils of Promise. He also spent time in Taiwan, Indonesia, and Vietnam. “One morning in Vietnam I woke up and knew I had to do this bike ride. Within half an hour the ride was planned.” Months into his ride, Brian still exudes excitement. As he rides he talks with school groups about his passions. So far, he’s raised $17,000 to support his endeavor and his charities.

How will we live tomorrow?

“I’d say we won’t. You can’t live tomorrow. You can only live today. Tomorrow is mind-made. It was invented when we made time.”

Posted in Responses | Tagged BikeAroundUSA, Brian D'Apice, National Military Family Association, Pencils of Promise, veteran, York PA | Leave a comment

Trip Log – Day 153 – Madera, CA to Merced, CA

Posted on October 6, 2015 by paulefallon

October 5, 2015 – Sunny, 75 degrees

Miles Today: 51

Miles to Date: 8,095

States to Date: 25

Today I was drenched in drought. I zig-zagged through the grid of agricultural roads laid out over the Central Valley. The land is flat, the earth is dust, the orchards grow where there is irrigation. Fields of crops that have low water allocations are ripped up to be replaced by less water intensive crops, or ones that receive a higher state allocation. Apparently, walnuts are out, almonds are in, but that seems to vary according to whom I meet.

The area is littered with signs about water; either lambasting politicians or beseeching god. No signs acknowledge any personal contributions to the problem, despite the sprinklered lawns in the foreground of the ranch houses.

The people who live here feel besieged. They provide crops for the entire country and in return we are strangling their water and ruining their way of life. As an observer from beyond, this way of life seems so unnatural, propping it up with more water will only delay the inevitable. We have created a society and economy that will be difficult to shift, but even more difficult to maintain in the future.

Posted in Bicycle Trip Log | Tagged Central Valley, drought, Madera CA, Merced CA | 1 Comment

Profile Response: Kinna McMahon and Sally Warrington, Leavenworth, WA

Posted on October 6, 2015 by paulefallon

Kinna McMahon is a 23-year-old college graduate who lives with Kristin Black in Leavenworth, WA. Sally is their sixtyish neighbor. All three attend the same church. Kinna, Sally and I had a far-reaching discussion of Christianity. I appreciate how they stated their beliefs so clearly, yet listened to my doubts and responded to my queries with such respect.

Sally: “Jesus means everything to me. He has changed my life. I grew up with a lot of sadness. My parents were divorced. I changed high schools a lot. I was sad on the inside but always put on a smile. I grew up in Congregationalist and Methodist churches that were very liberal. At one point during college I took a bottle of sleeping pills. I called out to God. Just then my mother called. She told me to get to the hospital. I was saved. That was God, working through her. Two weeks later a friend invited me to church, where I met Mark, my husband. I went to college and misused my freedom. But God saved me and gave me Mark. We have been married 44 years.”

Kinna: “In college I became Type A. I cried over an A minus. I put on a good face, but I was miserable. I don’t have any memories from those first two years. In junior year, Sally shared that Jesus lived a perfect life so that I didn’t have to. I finished school and had an internship with Ernst and Young. But I also had this idea that I had to go to Costa Rica for a year. I had a good upbringing, everything was good, but something was broken inside. God was telling me to go to Bible School instead of climbing the corporate ladder.

“Costa Rica is a middle class Latin culture. People have enough, and are incredibly happy; a level of happiness we never see in this country. You can’t know your own culture until you spend time in another.”

After Kinna’s year abroad, she returned to graduate school and is completing a master’s thesis on human trafficking in Chelan County, in which Leavenworth is located. “Trafficking does not require relocation. It can happen within a community. The scope of human trafficking is immense. What would it look like to eradicate this in our own community?” Kinna sees trafficking as a barometer for the health of our society. “The reason trafficking is easy in the United States is because our system is broken. One ex-pimp told me, ‘We eat and breath manipulating girls. They are so hungry for love it’s a cinch to get them under our thumb.’”

Kinna sees a direct correlation between her work in trafficking and her faith. “The definition of sin is choosing our way as opposed to God’s way. You have to have a moment when you struggle out of sin. You have to accept a new identity as a saint. Not because you’re perfect, but because God accepts you as you are.”

Sally adds: “Christianity is not about climbing up to God. God comes down to us.”

Of all the Christians I have met, Kinna and Sally were the most open to questions about their faith without being defensive. I asked what it means that The Bible is the inspired word of God? Isn’t all meaningful writing inspired? What makes The Bible different from Shakespeare? Kinna responded, “Writings can be inspired by God, but we believe The Bible is directed by God. It is his Words, channeled through man.”

I also wanted to know, if you believe in Jesus Christ, why is it so important to have others believe in him as well? Why must others believe the same thing you do? Sally said, “We believe that Jesus Christ is real, that he is fact. It’s our duty to share our knowledge with others. It is so good to have a compass.” I pointed out that Sally included the words ‘believe’ and ‘fact’ in the same sentence. If you believe, if you have faith, then Jesus becomes fact. But if you don’t have that initial belief, the ‘fact’ of Jesus as the Son of God, any ore than Kinna or Sally are children of God, doesn’t necessarily follow.

Kinna added, “You are a relativist. You think there are many possible answers. We know there is only one answer.” I asked what she thought of Muslims, who also believe they know the one right answer. Kinna is confident that at the end times, her faith would prove true. “Christianity is not a blind faith. Time and again, The Bible has proven true.”

How will we live tomorrow?

“I will go to heaven. My job is to work on earth to serve Jesus and show others His way. As it says in Psalm 40, ‘I waited patiently for the Lord.’ The Lord gave me a new song. I am not scared about tomorrow. I am excited about tomorrow.” – Sally Warrington

“Men want to be respected. Women want to be loved. We have to order our lives to that. Female empowerment often disrespects men. Men are top dogs, but they don’t take that role in a respected way. The protector role is important. They are privileged, and with that privilege comes responsibility.” – Kinna McMahon

Posted in Responses | Tagged Christian, Christianity, human trafficking, Jesus, Leavenworth WA, The Bible | 2 Comments

Trip Log – Day 152 – Fresno, CA to Madera, CA

Posted on October 5, 2015 by paulefallon

October 4, 2015 – Sunny, 75 degrees

Miles Today: 38

Miles to Date: 8,044

States to Date: 25

Big news in Fresno: it rained last night! The city is abuzz with the good news, and the temperature dropped twenty degrees. Even a brief midnight thunderstorm is noteworthy.

I chatted with the young parishioners from St. Joachim Church who were manning the Sunday morning shift at the Planned Parenthood protest that has been going on for weeks. They were more interested in having pictures taken than discussing abortion.

Note to people seeking business opportunities: do not start an elevator repair business in Fresno. There are no multiple story buildings beyond the ten-block downtown. Even office parks are single story structures. It is the most horizontal city I have ever seen. No terrain, all low slung roofs and possibly more square feet of blacktop per person than anywhere on the face of the earth. There’s a parallel road along each major arterial street. What is that for?

Mexican food is my favorite – I eat it everywhere I can. Today I hit the jackpot: Taqueria Carniceria El Charrito on West Ave has the best Mexican food I’ve eaten to date. It takes a tough stomach to appreciate a burrito supreme at 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning, but I was up to the task. As is always the case, price is inversely proportionate to taste. This huge burrito plus two Mexican buns (I already ate the cornbread pie before I snapped the photo) cost $6.40.

The ride to Madera through the Central Valley was easy yet fascinating. The canals, one so full of water, are empty. Beyond each irrigated trees or rape vine, the dirt is dusty sand. Grapes are laid out on south facing parchment to dry into raisins.

I stayed with a wonderful family in Madera with two engaging children. Spending time with children always reminds me of the fun I had when mine were little.

Posted in Bicycle Trip Log | Tagged Central Valley, Fresno CA, Madera CA, Mexican food | Leave a comment

Trip Log – Day 151 – Fresno, CA

Posted on October 5, 2015 by paulefallon

October 3, 2015 – Sunny, 90 degrees

Miles Today: 25

Miles to Date: 8,006

States to Date: 25

I woke this morning in a midcentury mirage. My warmshowers hosts live in an 1800 square foot ranch on an ample lot in the middle of this sprawling city. It was built in 1955, the year I was born, and has held its charms. I roused feeling light and expansive as the sectional sofa I slept upon and the fig tree beyond the patio doors. We enjoyed fresh fruit and yogurt with coffee for breakfast. The raisins were especially good – Fresno’s fame.

If the point of my trip is to observe a broad slice of American life, I can’t spend all my time in the Yosemite’s and Portland’s of the world. So, I decided to spend the day in Fresno. I began riding up and down Van Ness, Fresno’s classy residential district. Whoever decided to bring water to the desert was a lifestyle genius. It’s so pleasant to be among lush vegetation without any humidity. On a bright Saturday morning, affluent couples strolled beneath giant shade trees, next to green lawns and flowers. All so verdant, all so unsustainable.

I pedaled downtown. There are a few ornate theaters and hotel blocks from the 20’s and 30’s, but Fresno boomed during the 1950’s and 60’s, so there are blocks of over scaled government buildings sitting large courtyards surrounded by seas of parking. The only crowd was a throng of men, mostly homeless, waiting to get into the library when it opened at ten. I interviewed a Pawn Shop manager about tomorrow, and continued my tour.

After a tasty lunch in a local tacqueria, I cruised by Cal State Fresno and spent the afternoon writing in the local Mcdonald’s, which also meant talking with laborers and attorneys and mothers. McDonald’s is our collective living room.

I spent the evening with a cool couchsurfing host. Surge is the son of Mexican farm workers, a high school world history teacher in a overwhelmingly Hispanic high school, and a world traveller. He lives in the Tower neighborhood, Fresno’s hipster district. We strolled Olive Street and ate at a Mediterranean restaurant. We learned the limits of Fresno’s cool: they served falafel on tortillas.

Posted in Bicycle Trip Log | Tagged Fresno CA, McDonald's, raisins, Tower District | Leave a comment

How Will We Live Tomorrow?

Trip Log – Day 156 – Lodi, CA to Napa, CA

Profile Response: Michael Griego, Microsoft Consultant, Monroe, WA

Trip Log – Day 155 – Ceres, CA to Lodi, CA

Profile Response: Katie and Ian Ferguson, Bothell, WA

Trip Log – Day 154 – Merced, CA to Ceres, CA

Profile Response: Brian D’Apice, Bike Around America, Sultan, WA

Trip Log – Day 153 – Madera, CA to Merced, CA

Profile Response: Kinna McMahon and Sally Warrington, Leavenworth, WA

Trip Log – Day 152 – Fresno, CA to Madera, CA

Trip Log – Day 151 – Fresno, CA

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